The Scrapbook
by The Brain of Ivane
Summary: Snapshots of the lives Chloe King spent with Alek Petrov, Snapshot 5: "It's For Charity" - College girls are lining up to kiss Alek, but we can't really expect the Uniter to do nothing about it, can we?
1. Mornings With The Petrovs

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Nine Lives of Chloe King. Don't sue me. I'm innocent.

**Story Summary: **The scrapbook contained stories of lives lost and lives gained, of moments heart-breaking, breath-taking and life-changing, of memories shared with the love of her life. They were snapshots of the lives Chloe King spent with Alek Petrov.

**Author's Note: **This is basically a series of one-shots, ficlets, perhaps even drabbles centering on our favorite NLOCK couple, Chalek. There won't be much structure or plot here though the stories should be interconnected or semi-continuous. As a little background, in this story/series, I'm assuming that at the time of the show Chloe was 16 and a sophomore, Alek was 19 and a senior.

Also, since there is really no way for me to predict what kind of world we live in two decades from now, don't expect some futuristic thingamabobs or references or whatever.

Anyway, I really just wanted to get this idea off my head and put it in writing. I didn't have much time to proofread and rewrite, so don't expect the writing to be really good, but anyway, I hope you lovelies enjoy reading!

**-oiOio-**

**-Introduction: Mornings with the Petrovs-**

_Twenty-one years after Beautiful Day._

Mornings at the Petrov household was typically a frenzied mix of yelling, rushing, spilling, breaking, throwing, teasing, more yelling, crying, hugging, kissing and a whole other slew of verbs that when bunched all together to form one word would inevitably spell _chaos. _This particular summer morning was no exception. In fact, it was bound to get more chaotic than usual, because not only did it involve preparing breakfast for Alek, Chloe and their three children –fifteen-year-old twins, Xander and Claudia, and five-year-old Hannah – it also involved getting the house ready for a bunch of guests who would soon be arriving at the Petrovs' large bungalow to join the family in celebrating the twins' sixteenth birthday the following day.

Chloe wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as she flipped the last of the pancakes over the frying pan. This was her second batch. The last one quickly disappeared after Xander woke up and devoured most of it.

"Mommy!" came Hannah's shrill little voice as she stomped inside the kitchen, her hands planted on her waist, her small face red with anger. "Xander is being such a mean butt! He took my pancake! Again!"

Chloe shifted her eyes from her little daughter to her teenage son, who just strode confidently into the room, a hint of mischief in his eyes as he sat on one of the wooden stools beside the kitchen counter. He was holding a plate containing a half-finished pancake on his hand. He cut a piece from the pancake and shoved a forkful of it inside his mouth.

Chloe raised a brow at him. "Did you steal your sister's food?"

Xander smirked and nodded. "I don't know why, but her food always seems to be more delicious than mine."

"Liar!" Hannah stuck a tongue out at him, her hazelnut brown eyes shooting daggers at her older brother. "You're just being a big, stupid bully villain!"

"Why do you always do this?" Chloe asked her son, transferring the last of the pancakes from the frying pan onto a plate before turning the stove off. "Why do you find pleasure in annoying your little sister?" _Kind of like the way your father seemed to enjoy annoying me. _On top of Xander being the splitting image of his father – save for getting his mother's blue eyes – there were a bunch of other mannerisms and attitudes he had that reminded Chloe of Alek.

"Come on, ma… you have to admit," Xander narrowed a blue eye at her, "Hannah looks so cute when she gets angry. Her face scrunches up and her cheeks go all red…" The stern look on his mother's face clearly told him that he wasn't coming up with a winning argument for himself. He sighed with resignation before standing up and picking his little sister from the floor, setting her on the stool beside him. "Here…" he said, taking the plate from Chloe's hand and setting it in front of Hannah. "Mom cooked you some more."

"Why eat it if you're going to steal it anyway?" she huffed, staring at the plate of food, her little arms crossed over her chest. Her strawberry blonde curls, lifted in a ponytail, were bouncing with her every move.

Xander chuckled as he looked back at Chloe while pouring maple syrup on his sister's breakfast. "See, mom?" His eyes widened. "Cute…"

Chloe was actually trying to stifle a giggle. The pout on Hannah's face was adorable. Before she could respond to her son, however, she was interrupted by the sight of Claudia striding into the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast?" she asked, still running a brush through her straight, dark brown hair. "Ooh… pancakes…"

"What are you wearing?" Xander eyed his twin sister. "That dress is way too short."

Chloe looked at her daughter from head to foot as Claudia, ignoring her brother, began shuffling around the kitchen to get herself some breakfast. She was wearing a light yellow dress and strappy white heels. The dress wasn't that short as far as Chloe was concerned but its hem was a considerable distance north of the knee.

"Going somewhere, Claud?" Chloe inquired.

Xander narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "She's getting all dolled up for Caleb."

"Ooohhh… Caleb!" Hannah squealed delightedly, clapping her hands together as she sent a teasing glare at her older sister.

Chloe was actually pretty sure that the little girl had no idea who Caleb was. Caleb was Kai's oldest son. Hannah was only two when Kai last visited with his sons and back then, there was no indication of Caleb hitting it off with Claudia.

"When did this happen?" Chloe raised a brow at Claudia. Chloe knew that the leader of the Jackals was coming to visit, but wasn't even aware that his son was tagging along.

Claudia wasn't able to answer her mother. Her mouth was agape and she was glaring at her twin brother. "You promised you wouldn't tell!" She threw her hair brush at him.

"I promised I wouldn't tell _dad_," Xander cleared up, effectively dodging the object his sister just threw at him.

"Tell me what?" said Alek, taking them all by surprise. After all these years, he still managed to sneak up on everyone without being detected. He took one look at his son as he passed by before going straight to Chloe and planting a kiss on her cheek, his hand grazing her flat stomach. "Good morning, beautiful."

Chloe smiled and gave him a peck on the lips before tearing a piece from Hannah's pancake and tossing it inside her mouth.

"Hey…" Hannah grumbled, furrowing her brows at her mother. "Why is everyone stealing my food?"

"Wow, Hannah…" Chloe teased. "Your brother was right. Your food _is _more delicious."

Hannah scowled and looked back and forth from Chloe to Xander. It was as if there was a conspiracy being committed against her.

"Told ya…" Xander jibed at his little sister before motioning to get a piece of her pancake for himself.

Chloe slapped his hand away. "How is it that you keep on eating but never seem to gain an ounce of fat from it?"

"You and dad gave me good genes," Xander flicked his brows at her.

All Alek and Chloe could do was chuckle at their son's response before Chloe pulled another piece from Hannah's pancake.

"Mommy..." Hannah growled through gritted teeth, pointing her fork at Chloe, as if threatening to stab her mother with it.

"Dad, Xander likes Bianca…" Claudia suddenly spoke up, while sending a sideward glare at her brother. She was referring to Brian's thirteen-year-old daughter.

Chloe almost choked on her food as he watched her husband's reaction toward what Claudia just said. _How strange it would be if Xander actually ended up with Brian's daughter… _Alek and Brian were pretty… civil… with each other, but they were still a far way off from being good friends.

Alek seemed unfazed by what their daughter said. His eyes were set on Claudia's dress as he picked a shiny red apple from the fruit basket by the fridge. "Get changed, Claudia," he instructed in his thick British accent. "Dress," he said, waving a finger at her outfit. "Too short."

"Ha!" Xander exclaimed, raising both his hands in the air in triumph. "That's what I said!"

Claudia looked at her mother for support, her blue eyes begging to be told that what she was wearing was okay.

"She looks pretty in the dress," Chloe had to admit, casting a glance at her husband.

Alek looked from Chloe to their daughter. "She'd look gorgeous in rags. She's our daughter after all…"

"Mom, he wants me to wear rags," Claudia groaned, sounding as if her father was making her undergo cruel punishment.

_She's as headstrong as Chloe, _Alek thought. There were so many things about Claudia's personality that reminded him of his wife. "As long as the rags aren't _that _short, they're fine with me," he said, taking a bite out of the apple before standing beside Chloe, snaking one arm around her small waist.

"Mom…" Claudia began to plead again.

Before Chloe could react, the sound of glass breaking filled the room.

"Whoops," Hannah blushed. Apparently paying attention to the conversation happening around her, she accidentally knocked over a glass of milk with the back of her hand, spilling the white liquid into the counter top, before the glass rolled onto the hardwood floor.

Chloe sighed as she started to clean up after her daughter. _Welcome to mornings with the Petrovs, everyone_.

**-oiOio-**

The chaos of the morning overflowed to the rest of the day as one by one, their guests began to arrive.

It was Jasmine who arrived first, her seven-year-old son, Zane, in tow. After getting her law degree, she'd gone on to be one of the most renowned advocates for the rights of not only the Mai race, but also most of the other descendants of the other ancient races. After settling down with the family, she brought them news that she was now considering running for congress.

Paul and Amy followed soon after. They'd been mostly residing in Hollywood over the past ten years. Amy was working as a music producer after years of enjoying a rather successful music career. Paul, on the other hand, became a writer and director. He was also the go-to consultant for anyone who wanted to know more about the several ancient races that had gone public over the years. The book he wrote, _Mai Best Friend, _became a bestseller. They arrived with their two-year-old daughter, Zoe, and Amy was already pregnant with their second child.

Caleb, a freshman in college, was the last to arrive. The Jackal explained that his father, Kai, was going to follow the next day. Apparently, there was some emergency Kai had to handle with their pack.

They expected Brian too, but he called in to say that he had some business to take care of and that he and Bianca would be catching up the next day. After his father's death, Brian inherited Rezza Inc. and all the millions of dollars that came with it. Needless to say, he was one busy man.

It was fun spending the day with friends they've communicated with, but haven't seen in years. Sure… getting lunch and dinner prepared was even more chaotic and had even more mishaps than breakfast, but it was all worth it just for the laughter and the swapping of stories that the rest of the day brought about.

That night, Chloe retired to their bedroom a tad bit exhausted, but eager to face the next day.

Tomorrow was Xander and Claudia's sixteenth birthday, the day that would mark the beginning of their transformation into being Mai. Unlike what Alek and Chloe experienced – going through their transformations with zero knowledge about the Mai – Xander and Claudia grew up knowing exactly what they were. Alek and Chloe made sure to fully prepare them for what was to come.

Chloe sighed, pensive over how fast time went by. It felt like it was only yesterday when she gave birth to the twins. Overcome by a wave of nostalgia, she opened the wooden chest at the end of their large four-post bed and retrieved a leather-bound book. She climbed on the bed, sat cross-legged, laid the scrapbook holding her most precious memories in front of her and began thumbing through the pages.

Alek stepped out of the bathroom, running a hand over his damp blonde hair. He smiled upon seeing Chloe looking through the photos. "Someone's feeling nostalgic…"

She lifted her lovely face to meet his gaze and broke into a smile.

_God… she's as stunning as the day I met her. _Even after all these years, Chloe still managed to take his breath away. With everything they went through, all the things they survived together, Alek could only cherish every moment he had with her, ever grateful that he was given the precious gift of spending his life with the woman he loved.

Chloe averted her gaze toward the scrapbook and wistfully explained, "I can't help it… Can you believe it? The twins are turning sixteen tomorrow… I could still clearly remember my sixteenth birthday… That's when everything changed."

Alek got on the bed and positioned himself behind her, pulling her back against him and leaning his chin over her shoulder, his strong muscled arms slipping through the spaces between her elbows and her waist before resting on her knees. "I love you, Chloe Petrov."

Chloe had to smile. _Chloe Petrov._ She never quite got tired of hearing that name. She turned her head toward him and planted a kiss on his lips. He responded passionately – like he always did. By the time their lips parted, her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips swollen red. She bit her lip and smiled at her husband. "I love you too, Alek Petrov."

"Of course," Alek gave his wife that all-too-familiar smirk of his. "What's not to love?"

She responded with her all-too-familiar rolling of those lovely blue eyes. She returned her focus on the scrapbook spread out in front of her and flipped it to a random page.

Alek laughed upon seeing the photo at the center of the page that the scrapbook opened to. "I remember that day."

Glimpses of the day the picture represented flashed through her mind and Chloe found herself blushing. She brushed her fingers against the page. It was a picture of Jasmine, Alek, Chloe and Amy, all wearing sunglasses, lying down in various positions on towels of different bright colors set in a row over shimmering white sand. Chloe was certain that it was Paul who snapped the photo.

The label read _Hawaii. Summer 2012._

**- to be continued -**

**-oiOio-**

**Author's Note: **From here, the next chapters will center on random events over the 21 years that led to how they became the way they are on this chapter. The photo at the end of each chapter is a clue on what the next "snapshot" will be about. Anyway, let me know if you're interested enough for me to continue this. And do give me feedback – whether positive or negative – on the chapter. Please keep it constructive though. ;)


	2. The Mai in Hawaii

**Author's Note: **Uhh… for some reason, I have it in my head that the events in the show happened in 2010. Also note that the shots won't be in chronological order.

Anyway, just having some plain, old, fluffy fun in this chapter… Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts on the last chapter!

**-oiOio-**

**-The Mai in Hawaii-**

_Hawaii. Summer 2012._

It was their graduation gift. Three days and two nights of tanning, soaking and overall frolicking in the sunny beaches of Hawaii. Actually, it was Amy's parents' graduation gift to her. Chloe and Paul just happened to be lucky enough to be her best friend and boyfriend (respectively); thus, they inevitably became her plus two.

Chloe did a lot of bargaining and begging for the opportunity to be on that trip. Meredith only agreed to it under the condition that Jasmine agree to it too, trusting the Mai leader's judgment on what was and wasn't safe for the Uniter. Thus, one Saturday morning, Chloe found herself in Jasmine's penthouse pleading one of her dearest friends to let her go.

"What kind of sicko would follow me to Hawaii just to kill me?" was her defense. "Jasmine, come on… give me a taste of teenage normalcy here… It's just three days…"

Jasmine drummed her fingers over the arm of the white couch she was leaning on. She looked out the window, taking in their apartment's magnificent view. She appeared to be deep in thought, her face a mask of thoughtful seriousness, knowing full well that the suspense was driving her friend crazy. "Fine," she finally said, shushing Chloe before the girl could break out in high-pitched squeals. "One condition though."

Chloe held her breath. "Anything."

"I'm going with you." Jasmine's face broke into that beautiful smile of hers as she shrugged a shoulder. "I could use a dose of teenage normalcy as well."

So there they were… one happy foursome skipping their way to what they were convinced would be the best vacation they'd ever had (so far).

**-oiOio-**

Sitting on the big sky blue towel laid on the sandy white beach, Chloe looked pretty good, with her blonde hair up in a loose bun, sunglasses on, sporting a sheer powder blue tankini, as she re-applied a new layer of sun block over her skin. She had a frown on her face, however, when she realized that she needed help placing the sticky solution on her back. She looked toward the direction Amy and Paul had run off to. They were a considerably vast distance away from her, but she could still hear Amy's squeals as Paul splashed water on her. Chloe stared at the bottle of sun block in her hand, wondering what to do. _Jasmine, where are you? Get back with the drinks already._

Chloe rolled her eyes when she realized that Jasmine was probably stealing a few minutes to once again try to get in touch with the leader of the Hawaii Pride. An assassin from the Order attacked their first night there and though they were able to put him down and spare Chloe from losing another life, Jasmine was adamant that they seek more protection from the Mai in Hawaii. Chloe wasn't very happy about the Order butting in on her summer vacation staying true to the utter killjoys they'd always proven themselves to be, but what was she to do about it? It came packaged with the whole Mai Uniter thing. She just had to deal with it.

"Need help with that?"

Chloe's mouth dropped wide open when she recognized the familiar British accent offering to help with applying her sun block. She removed her sunglasses and looked up. Sure enough, there was Alek, looking rather dashing in a plain white tee and red board shorts, his blonde hair in that sporty tousled look he always managed to pull off. A wide smile crossed his face as he flicked a brow at her. "Missed me?"

"Alek!" Chloe screeched as she got up to wrap him in a warm embrace.

It had been a year since he left San Francisco to head for college. At that time, they weren't really on good terms, but they managed to patch it up through the several visits he made to San Francisco over the past year. They communicated constantly, and though Chloe would never admit it to him, he had ceased to become just her protector. He was one of her most cherished friends.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him as she pulled away. "I can't believe you're here."

"What fun would your vacation be if I weren't here?" he shrugged.

"Right," Chloe rolled her eyes in spite of her elation at seeing him. "Coz _you've _always been so much fun. I'm serious. What are you doing here?"

Alek began to lay a bright green towel on the sand beside Chloe's. They both sat down and that's when he pulled his tee over his head and tossed it on the ground. He took the sun block from Chloe and applied some on her back as he spoke. "Jasmine called me last night. She told me what happened. Are you alright?"

"You mean you came all the way over here because of _that_?" Chloe couldn't hide the hint of annoyance in her voice, though she could feel a slight tugging on her heartstrings at the thought of him traveling all that way just to see to her safety. "Obviously I'm fine, though you should tell Jasmine that. She said she was going to get some drinks, but I'm pretty sure she's calling all the Mai in Hawaii to swoop in and stalk my vacation."

"We're just trying to protect you. I'd think you'd be used to it by now." He said, returning the sun block to her.

She tilted the bottle his way as if to inquire if he wanted to use some too.

He shook his head. "I already applied a coat before heading here."

Chloe sighed. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I love you guys for being so protective, but with graduation and everything that happened before that, I just wanted to catch a break."

There was a momentary silence. Alek understood. She'd been through a lot over the past two years – more than most teenagers have had to deal with. He sighed, raised his knees and slightly leaned back, his hands laid on the towel, strong arms supporting his weight. "Well then, let's have a break, shall we?" he nonchalantly retorted. "I, for one, did not come here to do Uniter duty…" He proceeded to explain that Jasmine told him about the trip weeks ago and that he already planned to follow them on the trip even before he heard about their run-in with the Order. "Exciting as it is to talk about you being the Uniter and me being your strong, dashing protector, let's just enjoy ourselves, shall we?"

Alek raised a brow. There was no response on her side. He turned his head toward her and a huge smirk formed on his lips when he realized what caused her silence. "Chloe, you're staring."

The moment she heard him say those words, Chloe felt her cheeks turn hot red with embarrassment. Only moments ago, she was watching Alek's reddish lips move as he spoke, no longer really paying attention to what he was saying. Then it just happened. Before she was even aware of it, she got utterly distracted as her blue eyes inadvertently roamed over his toned biceps then to his washboard abs. She hadn't even realized she was doing it until he caught her staring and called her out on it. _Dear Bastet, I'm never going to hear the end of this. _

Chloe's eyes slowly gazed back up at Alek, one eye slightly narrowed, face twitched in a self-conscious grimace. She would've given anything just to be able to remove the arrogant smirk she saw on his handsome face.

"Didn't think you had it in you, Chloe," he jibed, slightly bending his head forward – a little closer to her. "You're actually checking me out."

"Am not!" she exclaimed too quickly, sounding more than a little defensive. "I was just…" _What was I doing actually? _Her eyes, as if having a life of its own, once again dropped to his six-pack. _When did this happen? Since when was Alek so ripped?_

"You're doing it again." The mixture of arrogance and amusement in his deep baritone voice was unmistakable.

Alek wouldn't have believed it possible but her cheeks actually blushed even more as she covered her face with her hands. He chuckled as he averted his gaze from her to the distant horizon, focusing on the beautiful view of the clear blue sea displayed before them. "Relax, Chloe. Can't say I blame you… Who'd be able to resist?" He simply couldn't stop smiling. Seeing the Uniter squirming over having been caught staring at him was just sheer pleasure. He retrieved a pair of shades from his pocket, put it on, placed his hands over the back of his head and lied down on the bright green towel he was sitting on before heaving a self-satisfied sigh.

Chloe was desperately trying to search for some sort of response that would save her from this humiliation, but couldn't find anything to say, which was why she was so relieved when she heard Jasmine's voice as she approached them.

"Alek! You're here already!" Jasmine dropped the ice-cold sodas on the ground and placed her red towel beside Alek's. She creased her brows at Chloe, who still had her face buried in her palms. "What's wrong with her?"

"She was momentarily blinded by my hotness," Alek explained sounding rather pleased with himself.

Jasmine stared at Chloe in puzzlement.

Chloe began to peer from her fingers at Jasmine, slowly dropping her hands from her face.

"Oh my goodness… Chloe…" Jasmine broke into a smile. "You're blushing!"

Chloe had never been more speechless in her entire life. She was embarrassed beyond words as she covered her face once again. Alek's soft chuckles weren't really helping either.

To top it all off, as if getting wind of Chloe's humiliation, Amy and Paul decided to return from their playful frolicking in the waves.

"Oh wow! Alek's here!" Amy's cheery voice boomed as she plopped herself over the pink towel already laid beside Chloe's. "London is actually in Hawaii…" She said, smiling at Alek, who simply nodded her way. She then looked at Chloe, who was now embracing her legs to her chest, her face buried in her knees. "Chloe?"

"I caught her checking me out," Alek finally explained, oozing with self-satisfied amusement.

"Ohhhh…" Amy nodded with understanding as she placed an arm over Chloe's shoulder, gently brushing the blonde's shoulder blade. "Chloe, sweetie, didn't I tell you not to write him off until you've seen him with his shirt off?"

"Where's the Order when you need them?" Chloe mumbled. She felt several questioning looks go her way. "All the lives I have left…" she muttered. "Please... take them all and kill me now..."

**-oiOio-**

"Alek! Stop laughing…" Chloe groaned, hitting her husband with a pillow. "It was actually the first time I saw you shirtless."

Alek was leaning on their bed's headboard, doubling over with laughter. "Had I known it would have that effect on you, I would've taken my shirt off the moment I found out you were Mai."

That only served to make her blush profusely.

He managed to control his laughter enough to notice his wife's cheeks flush red. "There it is… that blush… that's exactly the way you looked back then."

Chloe slapped him on the arm, blushed even more, and placed her hands over her heated cheeks. "This is so embarrassing… Only people in fan fiction blush this much..."

"If I take my shirt off, maybe you'll blush even more," he threatened.

She glared at him. "I think I'm immune to you by now."

Alek raised a brow. "You sure about that?"

Chloe could only narrow her eyes at him. Before she could find herself blushing even more, she huffed a sigh and returned her attention to the scrapbook. "Whatever. I'm moving on now."

Though he wanted to push the topic further just because he enjoyed seeing that blush that made Chloe all the more attractive to him, Alek shrugged it off as she began flipping through the book's pages once again.

"Whoa…" Alek exclaimed, pointing to a page she passed by. "What's that?"

The page was filled with college memorabilia, but Alek was pointing at a particular piece. It was a white handkerchief with their college's insignia on it. Alek knew that Chloe wouldn't have placed it there if it didn't mean something to her and he was pretty sure that he knew the significance of every piece of "scrap" on that scrapbook… save for that handkerchief.

Chloe looked at the handkerchief and remembered. She then turned to her husband and smiled.

**- to be continued -**

**-oiOio-**

TNLOCK S1E1 Quote:_ "Before you rush to any judgment, you should at least see him with his shirt off." – Amy to Chloe, on Alek _

**Author's Note: **Confession: I blushed while writing/re-reading this chapter. LOL.

Anyway, I really have no idea which college to send them to, so I don't know… suggestions? I could probably just make a college up.

Oh well… spread love, darlings. Review.


	3. We Belong Together

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts! Keep 'em coming!

To reviewer **ashley**'s request for a story on their wedding and first date, I'll see what I can do. I already have ideas for the wedding, but not sure about the first date. We'll just have to wait and see what pages the scrapbook happens to open to. ;)

I've just realized that I am completely incapable of writing a drabble. I start this chapter thinking, "Okay, this is just going to be a short drabble," but then it ended up to be this long one-shot. O_o Oh well...

Not much humor here, but lots and lots and lots of emotions… dundundun…

**-oiOio-**

**-We Belong Together-**

_College. Chloe's Freshman Year._

Misery loves company, and one night during Chloe's very colorful college life, her misery found company in the form of the beautiful, raven-haired Mai named Mimi. The source of their misery? A grudge they were holding against the infamous C.B. himself – big man on campus, Alek Petrov. Their common resentment toward the attractive blonde Mai was what made Chloe have a momentary loss of sensibility and caused her to agree to spending a night with Mimi inside a bar off campus.

"I wouldn't call it a grudge…" Chloe drawled, clutching the tall glass of cold beer in one hand, while propping her chin up on the other, elbow leaning over the bar's glass counter. "It's more like… disappointment. Disappointment in myself really. How could I bring myself to believe that he'd still be in love with me after all this time?"

Mimi scoffed. "You're so stupid. It's Alek Petrov we're talking about. You don't put his name and the words 'in love' in the same sentence unless there's a 'doesn't fall' in between." She was already more than a little tipsy and her words were beginning to slur.

Chloe didn't really get much from what her companion just said. She was too consumed by her own forlorn thoughts over Alek, images of him and all those girls who always seemed to be within a couple of feet away from him running through her mind. Just thinking about it made Chloe green with envy. She didn't know how it happened or when it started, but somewhere in between the time he left for college and the time she graduated from high school and moved to the same college he was attending, Chloe's feelings for Alek began to blossom. They were great friends, but somewhere along the way, Chloe had unconsciously crossed the line from friendship to something more than 'just friends'. By the time she moved to campus and began spending more time with him, she was already falling head-over-heels in love with her protector and her best friend. Unfortunately, he seemed to have already moved on.

"Why wouldn't he move on?" Chloe spoke her thoughts out loud. "I chose Brian… Well, it really wasn't much of a choice really… not when the other option leaves. It was as if Alek chose for me. He pushed me into Brian's arms and then he left. Can't say I blame him… I was so confused back then. I was so torn between the two of them. It was so hard having to choose. I just wish…" Chloe paused and looked at Mimi. The brunette had already passed out over the bar, a mixture of beer and saliva unattractively dripping from the corner of her full lips. Chloe sighed, already drunk herself, as she stared at Mimi. She blinked her eyes several times, starting to feel a little woozy. "This is no place to sleep, silly little kitty." She wasn't sure if she was saying it to Mimi or to herself.

**-oiOio-**

When Chloe woke up the next morning, she was greeted with the mother of all hangovers. She'd never been drunk before. In fact, before last night, she'd never even had more than just a little sip of alcohol. That morning, she couldn't even remember how many glasses of beer she drank last night or how she even got home. _Home. _Her eyes darted across her surroundings to make sure she was indeed home. It was the bedroom she was sharing with Amy alright. She sighed with relief, but then once again became fully aware of the wicked migraine she was having. "What have I done?" she groaned, clutching her throbbing forehead. She checked the time. It was almost noon. She already missed two classes and was running incredibly late for another. Chloe shut her eyes in frustration. _This is so not good._

It took an enormous feat, but she eventually managed to get up from her bed, throw up in the toilet, take a quick shower, throw up again and finally get dressed for school. The moment she stepped out of her room and saw Paul and Amy (she was sharing an off-campus apartment with them) eating what she assumed was already their lunch on the dining table, she almost jumped back in surprise, because she felt exactly what both of them were feeling at that time. Concern, irritation, worry, fear, care, compassion, exhaustion… a wave of emotions caught Chloe in an "empathy hit" – as Paul so appropriately coined it – that was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.

"Chloe, is there something wrong?" Amy asked, an unmistakable hint of concern in her soft voice.

Chloe shook her head, the motion causing her head to throb even more. "Just… just a really bad hangover… Did you take me home?"

Paul and Amy exchanged glances.

"No… Alek brought you here," Paul responded. "He said you called him to pick you up and he found you passed out in a bar…"

"…with Mimi," Amy continued. "Chloe, what happened? Since when do you drink?"

Chloe's mind was whirling. Her empathy hits before were always momentary, just a glimpse of what the person was feeling. And she was always able to control it, with just one person as the object of her empathy. This time, however, she felt everything that Paul and Amy were feeling. It was hitting her in waves. She gritted her teeth, not knowing how to respond. "I… I just…" _Alek… how I must've looked to him… _Her own emotions began to mix with the wave of emotions coming from her two best friends. "I'm late for class. I'll try to explain everything later…" was all she managed to say before darting out of the apartment, not bothering to wait for a response from them. She sighed with relief when she shut the door and the barrage of emotions going her way began to disappear.

It didn't take long for her to realize, however, that she would've been better off inside their apartment than out of it, because the moment she stepped out of their apartment building and into the crowded street, waves upon waves of feelings and emotions began flooding her way. Excitement, grief, loneliness, anxiety, anger, hurt, bliss… everything felt by everyone within a couple of meters away from her, she felt too. Tears began streaming down her glistening blue eyes. It felt like she was going crazy. No one should ever have to feel that many emotions at one time. Chloe gripped her head, feeling as if her entire world was spinning out of control, her own frustration adding to the already too many emotions gripping at her. She didn't know how to control, much less stop, the overpowering sensation hitting her like one big tsunami.

"Chloe?"

She turned to find Alek standing in front of her, worry gleaming in his hazelnut brown eyes.

"I came to check on you. After last night, I…" he paused, noticing the agitation on her pretty face. Her irises were speedily changing from its cat-like form to its normal human form and vice versa. His breath hitched as he gently held her by the arms. "Chloe… What's happening to you?"

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around the waist of the one person in that street who she couldn't get an empathy hit from. She buried her face in his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears, before mumbling. "I feel it all, Alek… I feel everything that they're feeling. It's too…" she paused searching for the right word "…overwhelming."

Alek creased his brows trying to comprehend what she just said. He began gently stroking her long blonde hair, still damp from a fresh shower. He could feel her slender form shaking against him. He searched his mind for a way to soothe her, for a way to fix this for her. He ran a hand up and down her back. "You can control this, Chloe…" He had no idea if it would work, but it was worth a shot. "Remember what we did with your hearing. Focus on just one thing."

"I can't…" she sobbed. "I don't know which of the emotions are mine anymore… All of this is too much."

"No. You can do this," he insisted. "Focus on just one thing… one person… Just try, Chloe."

His voice was soothing, his breath warm against her ear. He was the only source of peace amidst the storm of emotions raging around her. Clinging tightly to him, she leaned her ear against his chest… listening… focusing on the steady, comforting rhythm of his heartbeat. She shut her eyes, trying to fight back the barrage of emotions sweeping down on her. She shifted her thoughts from the emotions to him… to Alek, to the friend she was falling in love with. That's when it happened. An unnerving calm swept over her and the emotions began to slowly fade away and for once, she felt exactly what Alek was feeling. At first, it was just his concern that she felt, then as she focused more on the sound of his heartbeat, she felt this deep ache, this heart-wrenching longing. She slowly pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. He said something, but she didn't hear. She couldn't believe the feelings that were emanating from him. That yearning within him… it was for her.

_He still loves me, _she realized. _Alek is still in love with me. _

He motioned to brush his thumb along her cheekbone and for reasons she couldn't explain, she flinched away from his touch. The hurt and confusion that he felt over her involuntary action swept over her. All she could think of was how much she wanted to stop his hurting.

He pulled a white handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her. "Are you better now?" he asked, his deep baritone voice still soothingly reassuring. "Come on…" he tried to smile. "Wipe those tears away now. I hate to see you cry."

She blinked several times and stared at the handkerchief he handed over to her, toying it with her fingers, looking at it as if she had no idea what to do with it. Once again, she stared up into Alek's eyes. At that moment, she realized that the emotions coming her way now only came from two sources – Alek and herself. And his feelings were merely a reflection of her own. It dawn on her then that they felt exactly the same way for each other.

A wide smile formed on her lips for him, at him. "You were right, Alek," she said in what was almost a hushed whisper.

He quirked a brow at her, not sure he knew what she meant. "Wonderful," he said, slightly looking down in thought. "Right about wh-"

She cut him off by pressing two fingers against his lips. Without hesitation or even a second thought, she raised her arms and gently brushed her soft hands against his neck before tiptoeing to press her lips against his.

Alek was stunned at first. It'd been so long since he last felt those sweet soft lips of hers kneading against his. He hadn't been expecting it, but after the initial surprise, he responded with the passion and longing he had for her that he'd pent up for too long, his hands holding her small waist, pulling her against him. He wasn't really sure what was happening or what he did to deserve this, but he certainly wasn't complaining and he definitely wasn't going to do anything to stop it.

At that moment, both of them were oblivious of their very public display of affection. They were both only aware of the other. Everything else was pushed to the background leaving only Alek and Chloe at the forefront, reveling in the fact that it felt as if everything was right in the world.

By the time their lips parted, both of them were completely out of breath. Alek's thoughts were whirling and this time, it was him who could not make sense of the flood of emotions going his way. He was already so used to holding back any feelings he held toward Chloe and now they were all bursting out, desperate to be recognized. Attempting to catch a breath, he looked questioningly at her, unable to come up with any words to say to her.

Clutching his white handkerchief with one hand, her tear-stricken face lovingly looked up at him as she traced her thumb over his lips. Her blue eyes were glazed over with a look that he could only assume – or perhaps hope – was deep affection. Just the sight of the smile that formed on those sweet pink lips of hers, still slightly swollen from his kiss, and how beautiful it made her look made him go weak in the knee. What she said then was more than enough to answer all the unspoken questions that were coursing through him.

"You were right. We belong together."

**-oiOio-**

"It was the first and last time I've ever empathized with a Mai," Chloe confessed as she traced a finger over the handkerchief on the scrapbook. "I kept the handkerchief to remember."

She turned to look at her husband, who was now lying on his stomach beside her, his elbows propping him up on the bed. He had a cocky mocking smile on his face. "You owe me a handkerchief," he jeered.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?" He exclaimed, his eyes slightly widening as he shrugged. "I lent you mine and you never returned it."

"I can't believe you don't remember that day," she remarked, lightly slapping him on the shoulder.

"Oh, I remember the day. I just don't remember that you took my handkerchief." A side smirk formed on his face. "How could I remember anything beyond you smothering my lips with yours for everyone to see?" His blonde brows flicked up at his wife. "And how can I forget the day you shamelessly professed your undying love for me?"

"Only after I got an empathy hit from you telling me how madly in love you've always been with me," Chloe said with flair as if to say, 'you are not the only one who can be arrogant, Petrov'.

He scowled at her in response and she motioned to pinch him on the waist, making him flinch away from her.

Before they could go ahead and fool around like a couple of teenagers, the door to their room opened and little Hannah peered in, rubbing her eyes with one hand, while clutching the mane of her favorite stuffed lion, Jungle, with the other, dragging the toy on the floor behind her.

"Hey, sweetie," Chloe cooed. "I thought you were in bed already."

"I woke up and I can't sleep…" Hannah wrinkled her little button nose as she stepped inside her parents' room, a pout forming on her face as she closed the door behind her.

Alek smiled at the sight of his little girl. He tapped the space on the bed between him and Chloe as he sat up on the bed. "Come, Hannah. Sit with your mom and me."

A smile spread on her small face as she leaped to their bed, snuggling between them, propping Jungle over her lap. "What are you doing?" She caught sight of the scrapbook. "Ooh… picture book!" she flipped the book several pages back. She stopped on a page that showed several pictures of Alek, Chloe and their closest friends – all of the pictures were taken inside their favorite café. "Where's that?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as she examined the pictures on the page.

"A café your dad and I used to always visit," Chloe explained. "We have so many great memories there…"

"Yeah…" Alek nodded. "Like when your mom attacked me with her stilettos."

Hannah's brown eyes widened at her mother before she scrunched up her nose in wonderment. "What are still toes?"

"It's sti-let-tos, honey." Chloe corrected, before glaring at her husband. "And I never attacked your father with any kind of shoes."

"Yes you did!" Alek countered defensively. "Don't you remember? I was visiting from college and…"

**- to be continued -**

**-oiOio-**

**Author's Note: **Confession: I imagined background music playing on that scene on the street. LOL.

Oh well, really hoping you got swept away with emotions too… haha…

If you have time, check out my other story too. It's entitled _The Guardian_. It's much more structured than this one. (I was actually inspired to write _The Scrapbook_ because I was over-thinking that other story, and this is kind of my break from a more well thought out, structured plot.)

Anyway, the next chapter of this story should be real fun to write, but until then, where is the love? Review, lovelies.


	4. Stilettos

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts! Any chance we could have more of those coming? ;)

**-oiOio-**

**-Stilettos-**

_That café near Chloe's work. Chloe's senior year in high school._

Alek learned two life-altering realities that day: first, he realized that shoes could definitely kill – or at least inflict serious physical damage; second, he also found out that should a situation call for it, he possessed insane contortionist abilities.

The day started out innocently enough. He just arrived in San Francisco that morning after being called in by Jasmine, who was having some issues with the new Mai being assigned to Uniter duty. Being the expert in keeping the Uniter alive and out of harm's way, Alek figured he'd lend the illustrious leader of their pride a helping hand and took the flight back to the city he'd already embraced as home. After meeting with the Mai, which was, in his opinion, both boring and exhausting, Alek left Jasmine to wrap the whole thing up and quickly made his way to the coffee shop, hoping to catch Chloe after her work shift. He arrived about half an hour past six and was relieved to find Chloe sitting on one of the coffee shop's booths, a worried look etched on the fine lines of her delicate face as her fingers flew over her phone in a display of her mad texting skills.

He slid on the seat across the table from her, hands on his jacket's pockets, a snide smile on his face. "Waiting for me, King?"

She looked up from her phone and her blue eyes widened in surprise. "No, no, no, no, no…" she rapidly spat out. "This isn't happening… Alek, you can't be here right now."

"What? Wh-" He wasn't able to finish his violent reaction to her insanity because before he knew it, she was standing from her seat and sliding herself on his side of the table. Her hand quickly grabbed him on the top of the head and began pushing him down. "What do you think you're doing?" he adamantly asked, not quite knowing if he should fight back or just give in to her attempts to shove him under the table.

"He's coming," she hissed, her other hand now on his shoulders as she continued to push him down. "There's no time. You got to hide."

"Who's com – Ow!" His forehead hit the edge of the wooden table after she persistently kept trying to make him hide under it. _Damn, she's strong, _was all he could think of as he finally just gave in and tried to stuff all six feet of himself within the cramped space under the table.

"Be quiet," she hissed under her breath, just enough for his keen Mai senses to hear.

Alek could only grit his teeth as he rubbed a hand over the sore bump on his forehead. He glared up at Chloe, only to see waves of her blonde curls cascading to her waist. At that point, anything above her waist was already covered by the wooden table above him. _What the heck is happening?_

He quickly got an answer to his question, because he heard a familiar voice speaking.

"Have you been here long?" the voice asked.

_Brian. _Alek found himself clenching his jaw at the sight of Brian's legs appearing under the table as the guy sat on the booth across Chloe. In an attempt to keep Brian's feet from touching him, Alek inched away from the human; thus, inching closer to Chloe. Alek was sitting up, his back against the wall where one end of the table was hooked to. His head was slightly bent forward, pressed against the table, because sitting up, he simply couldn't fit under the dratted thing. His knees were slightly raised, so that Brian wouldn't see his shoes from the other end of the table. Given the awkward, very uncomfortable position he was in, he was practically sitting on Chloe's feet, his thighs pressing against her legs.

"Not that long," Chloe replied, slightly standing up to lean over and give her boyfriend a peck on the lips, something they'd both been able to enjoy ever since the curse that prevented humans and Mai to be together was broken. She slightly squirmed at the feeling of Alek pressing against her legs. She tried not to make any reaction that would catch Brian's attention. Feeling Alek's weight over her feet, she raised her legs, withdrawing her feet from beneath him.

Alek's eyes widened when her feet pulled away from under him and settled over his thigh, the thin pointy heels of those black shoes she was wearing now dangerously close to maiming him. _She's stepping on me. Is she trying to kill me? _He bit his lip and stifled a yelp when her heels began to dig down his muscled thighs. He adjusted himself so that he could slip his head from beneath the table to glare at her, only to have her hand shove his head right back in as she continued to listen to her human, who was going on and on and on about whatever melodramatic family issues life was throwing at him.

Chloe couldn't concentrate on anything Brian was saying. Her mind was on the Mai she just stuffed beneath the table. _Brian can't see me with Alek. We've just begun to patch things up and… _She heard Alek whispering and she clenched her jaw.

"What are you trying to do, Chloe?" he whispered, knowing that her sensitive Mai ears would hear. "Your heels are about to seriously wound me."

Not knowing what to do, she lifted her feet from over his thigh and stretched her legs, so that her feet were now brushing against Brian's ankles.

Alek swallowed hard when those white legs of hers stretched before him. "Really, Chloe?" he whispered. "You're going to play footsy with your boyfriend while I'm cramped down here?" He couldn't keep his eyes away from those long alabaster legs of hers. _Why of all days must she be wearing a dress today? This is cruel and unusual punishment. _Annoyed by the situation, a mean streak of mischief came over him, a naughty smirk forming on his lips. Shifting slightly, he raised one hand and began gently brushing his fingers over her bare knees. He fought hard not to laugh when he saw her slightly flinch at the motion. "Find a way to get me out of here, Chloe…" he muttered his threat. "I won't stop until you do."

Chloe's cheeks were reddening at what Alek was doing and her blue eyes were beginning to moisten. Certain from the look on Brian's face that what he was saying was utterly serious, she was fighting with all her might not to laugh at the tickling sensation caused by Alek's slightly calloused fingers caressing her knees.

"Well? What do you think?" Brian asked her, finally finishing his prolonged relay of events.

Chloe gulped. She wasn't able to hear a word he said, too distracted by the Mai driving her crazy at that moment. In an attempt to stop Alek from continuing his assault on her knees, she jerked one leg backward, unintentionally kicking his waist with her heel.

Alek's face blushed red, biting his lip so that he wouldn't let out a wounded scream. "You have no idea just how strong you are, do you?" he whispered instead, his face twisting in pain. "I'm pretty sure your heels just left a cut on my side."

"Sorry," Chloe muttered, half directing it to Brian, half directing it to Alek.

An exasperated look covered Brian's face. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

Chloe pouted as she tried to explain. "I'm so sorry… So much has been going on and there's just a lot on my mind and…"

"By 'a lot', do you mean him?" Brian cut her off.

"Brian, don't be like that…" Chloe started to say, recognizing her boyfriend's jealousy rearing its ugly head. "Let's not go through this again."

Despite the fact that he was still writhing in pain, his hand clutching his side, Alek creased his brows. _Him? Who's him? Chloe's made no mention of another guy in the picture all those times we got to chat..._

"Just tell me if it's him you want to be with, Chloe. This is just getting tiring. If it's him you want…" Brian continued.

Chloe heaved a sigh. They've gone through this so many times before. "I'm with you, am I not?"

"Be honest, Chloe. If not to me, to yourself," Brian quickly replied. "It's me you're with, Chloe, but is it me that you want to be with?"

_Too. Much. Drama. _Alek rolled his eyes in spite of the still throbbing pain on his side. _I seriously think I'm bleeding. You owe me big time, Uniter._ Truth be told though, he was curious over how all this would turn out. More importantly, he was intrigued by whoever it was the two were fighting over, and he also was concerned for Chloe. Taking a cue from the many how-to-be-a-friend-to-Chloe conversations he had with Paul, he made a mental note to ask her about all this. _But not after I make her pay for attacking me with her stilettos._

Brian's question was hanging over Chloe's mind as she tried to process the answer to it. Just months ago, she would've answered him with 'yes, of course it's you I want to be with' in a heartbeat. Now, she wasn't so sure. Since prom, all she could think of was Alek. She'd be kissing Brian, and it would be her protector – the one she sorely missed and wanted to hug at the sight of – on her mind.

A sad, frustrated expression filled Brian's eyes – those expressive eyes that were the first thing that attracted her to him. He drew one deep breath before shaking his head. "I gotta go…" he began to stand up.

"Brian, wait…" She was about to stand up, but with her legs stretched and Alek cramped beneath her, it was simply impossible. "I haven't even answered yet…"

"Your silence is answer enough, Chloe." Without another word, he turned and walked away from her.

Chloe heaved a deep, agitated sigh as she watched her boyfriend (or was it ex-boyfriend?) turn a corner and disappear from view.

"Chloe," a wound up British voice said, "can I come out now?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, remembering her stowaway.

With the position they were in, it took a lot of scooting, squirming, pushing and pulling for Alek to come out from under the table. Finally straightening himself out on the seat across from her, he grimaced. "You are all brands of crazy, you know that, King?"

All she could do was sigh, still forlorn over the fight she had with Brian.

Alek's gut clenched at the sadness on the beautiful face of the girl who would always, always hold a special place in his heart, even if he was slowly coming to accept that she may never be able to see him as more than just a friend. "What was that about? Who's this guy your human is acting like a jealous sap over?"

Chloe smiled bitterly, remembering the time when it was Alek who was acting like a "jealous sap" over Brian. _It's so ironic. _Wanting to figure out for herself what was going on and what exactly she was feeling before having to talk about it, she mentally answered his question with _You, Alek, _but vocally responded with a shrug and said, "Do you really want to talk about that? I don't. So? When can I visit your college? I'm actually excited about tha..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Alek raised both hands in a motion to stop her from talking. "Before you assault me with all these questions, let's not forget the physical attack your shoes just put me through in there… Most important question here is…" he paused for dramatic effect, before bursting out, "…how the freaking hell do you walk in those heels?"

**-oiOio-**

"I wasn't attacking you with stilettos," Chloe cleared out. "It was all accidental."

"Are still toes kind of like Claudia's scary pointy shoes?" Hannah asked, her eyes set on her father.

Alek nodded solemnly, playing the innocent victim. "Exactly like that."

Hannah's eyes grew and shot away from Alek to her mother. "You could've killed Daddy."

A deadpan expression took over Chloe's face. "That really isn't possible, Hannah. Your dad was quite fine after that. Besides, it's not my fault he butted in on a very important date with my boyfriend."

"Mommy…" Hannah frowned, her head tilting to the side, her big brown eyes expressing her concern. "I thought Daddy's your boyfriend."

"Yeah," Alek creased his brows, slightly nodding, his signature smirk forming on his lips. "I thought I was your boyfriend."

Chloe glared at her husband before turning toward Hannah. "I was talking about the guy who was my boyfriend before your dad became my boyfriend."

Hannah wrinkled her nose and looked at her stuffed animal. "Sounds complicated, doesn't it, Jungle?" She made the lion nod in agreement before shrugging. "What's next?" she then asked, diverting her attention back to the scrapbook. She took a good couple of pages in one hand and flipped the book several pages forward, landing on one that showed lots of lips and pictures of kissing booths. "Ohhh…" the five-year-old blushed, "…kisses. Did you and daddy kiss?"

Chloe and Alek exchanged glances, a wide smile forming on both their faces. "Oh yeah."

**- to be continued -**

**-oiOio-**

**Author's Note: **Confession: I think Chloe stuffing Alek under a table and Brian not seeing it is kind of implausible, but uhh… I had fun writing this. Lol.

Oh well… It's always sweet to give and receive love. Let's call writing this chapter my way of giving love, so maybe I can get some in return? Haha… leave a review, honeys. ;)


	5. It's For Charity

**Author's Note: **I am sincerely grateful for those reviews on the last chapter, my darlings. I'm glad you enjoyed reading it and you guys are just awesome for taking the time to review! Thank you so much!

Just a reminder… the chapters are not in chronological order and will continue not to be. Think along the lines of _500 Days of Summer. _Let's just say that this story's alternate title is _**21 Years of Chalek**__. _Haha… Kind of reminds me of one of my favorite literary works of art – _One Hundred Years of Solitude. _Ah, but I digress…

If there are questions that come up (like how on earth the curse that prevented humans and Mai from being intimate was broken), I'm going to try to come up with a one-shot or two in order to address those details, but I make no promises (the key word here is _try_). It is inevitable that there will be parts of this story that will require you to read between the lines (or in this case, the chapters) – if you know what I mean. ;) I hope it doesn't get too confusing. I'm really just trying to have a lot of fluffy fun writing each chapter of this story and I'm hoping that as you read through the "snapshots", you're having some fluffy fun right along with me. ;)

Anyway, enough ranting… I hope you enjoy reading this next scrapbook installment!

**-oiOio-**

**-It's For Charity-**

_Valentines 2013. Chloe's freshman year in college._

After her last class for the day, Chloe found her dashing blonde boyfriend leaning on the wall outside her classroom, waiting to pick her up. His face lit up in a smile at the sight of her and she could feel the cliché of clichés that is butterflies on her stomach once again becoming her reality. She'd walk up to him and then tiptoe to give him a peck on the lips before they both go on their merry way. That was one of the regular routines that they'd fallen into since they became an official couple a few weeks after Chloe's epic empathy hit. What was neither regular nor routine on that particular day was the fact that as they walked along campus grounds to meet up with Amy, Paul and Jasmine at the quadrangle, it seemed every other person they happened to pass by had some something to say to Alek about some sort of record he was holding.

"Pucker up, Petrov!" Lots of loud hollering.

Chloe's brows furrowed. _Huh? Pucker up?_

"Alek, my man! You're gonna break last year's record, right?" Fists bumping.

_Alek is _my _man and what record is this dude talking about? _

"See you on Valentines, handsome. Same time, same place, right?" Flirty lashes fluttering.

_What the – Same time, same place? Someone stop me from clawing those fluttery eyes out. _

"One hundred and counting!" Hearty shoulder slapping combined with some weird attempts at roaring.

_One hundred and counting what? What kind of record did Alek break exactly?_

"Alek, you dog… Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Head shaking. Impish smile a little too telling.

_He's more like a cat actually…_

"Can't wait to lock lips with you again, CB…" One cheesy kiss flying.

_Oh no, she didn't!_

"Ok, that's it!" Teeth gritting, one blonde brow lifting, blue eyes blazing. "That girl did not just say and do _that_."

Alek swallowed hard as he turned his head toward Chloe, whose hands were planted on her hips, her long curls hanging loosely over her shoulders.

"Have I ever told you how gorgeous you look when you're all worked up over something?" he smirked, inching closer to her, hoping to spare himself the diatribe he was sure was coming his way.

"Oh no, you don't." Chloe waved a finger in the air for added swagger, one hand placed on his chest to push him back from his habit of being a close talker (something she found strangely attractive and completely disarming lately). "You're not going to sweet talk your way out of this one, Petrov. What are they talking about?"

Alek's face twitched as he squinted a brown eye at his girlfriend. _Girlfriend. _He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea. _The Uniter is my girlfriend. _Whenever he thought about it, he would experience this strange feeling start from the pit of his stomach – an exciting sensation very much related to the word _flutter_. He smiled at the thought of kissing those rosy lips of hers, brushing a thumb along her jaw line.

For a moment, she was distracted by the soft, loving expression on his brown eyes and the feel of his finger over her skin. She bit her lip as her attention drifted off to his full red lips. _Since when do you have this effect on me, Alek Petrov? You can get away with bloody murder if you continue at this rate._ Before her mind could completely wander off to thoughts of kissing her boyfriend, she shook her head softly, willing herself to get back to her senses and deal with the matter at hand. "Well? What is it?" she pried.

Alek grimaced as he shoved his hands in his jeans' pockets. He slightly twisted his upper torso, a guilty look crossing his face. "Don't get mad, okay?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot lightly on the ground, awaiting an explanation.

"There's a Valentines fair tomorrow, right? There was one last year and I was assigned to the kissing booth," he hesitantly explained before quickly adding, "All the funds raised go to charity by the way." He cringed as he continued, "I hold the record for the most kisses and that's..."

"…what all these people are talking about." Chloe frowned. "Alek, that's so…"

"Impressive? Charitable?" he asked hopefully.

"Unsanitary." She wrinkled her nose at the idea of dozens upon dozens of girls lining up to kiss her boyfriend. The idea made her resent that the curse keeping Mai from being intimate with humans had already been lifted. "You're not gonna do that again tomorrow, are you?"

He could only narrow his eyes, his lips twitching. "I've been on the kissing booth's roster since last year. Some have already even bought tickets to…" He scratched his head uncomfortably "…uhh… kiss me."

"No. Way," Chloe shook her head furiously. "Not gonna happen." She turned and walked away from him, heading for their friends.

Alek trailed after her. "Come on, Chloe… it's for charity!"

**-oiOio-**

"What do you think you're doing?"

Chloe turned to find her boyfriend's honey blonde brow raised at her. She smiled sweetly at him, waving the pen she was holding in the air. "Have I ever told you how gorgeous you look when you're all worked up over something?" she quipped, echoing his own words.

Alek snorted. "Like I don't know that…" He looked over her shoulder at the sheet of paper that now had her name and signature on it. "You did not just sign that." The sheet had the words "Kissing Booth Roster" on top of it in big bold red letters.

"Oh, but I just did," she responded, her blue eyes twinkling.

The Mai protector's stomach turned, a rather disturbing image of dozens upon dozens of guys lining up to kiss his girlfriend flashing through his mind. He was no fool. He knew that a lot of the guys in campus would be more than willing to pay good money to be able to lock lips with Chloe. "No. Way," Alek shook his head. "Not gonna happen."

"What?" Her eyes widened. "You can do it, but I can't?"

"I don't have a choice! I tried to back out of it, but the organizer wouldn't let me." He gritted his teeth. "Chloe, you're being unreasonable." He looked at her, brown eyes pleading for her to back out of this whole deal.

Chloe smiled and slightly tapped him on the cheek. "Come on, Alek… it's for charity."

**-oiOio-**

The Valentines Fair…

Alek stepped up to the small platform where two wooden stools had been set at the very center. The announcer, Ryan, was saying something about him being the record-holder when it came to the most number of kisses – thus, the most amount of money raised – on last year's fair. Alek wasn't really paying attention. His eyes were set on the other platform just beside the one he was on, where Chloe was taking her place sitting on one of the two wooden stools set there.

_Who the hell organized this thing? _Alek wondered to himself, musing over why on earth his shift coincided with Chloe's. He had done everything he could to talk her out of this, but the Uniter – as stubborn and headstrong as she'd always been – was relentless.

"If you're gonna go ahead with this thing, then so am I," she reasoned out.

Thus, they found themselves in this predicament, with Alek wondering if he should take note of the face of every guy who dared kiss Chloe so he could beat them up later. Before he could further mull over the idea, however, a skinny and obviously giddy brunette sat on the wooden stool across the one he had just settled himself on. Alek tried to smile as he leaned over for the kiss. His eyes were still on Chloe and this sick feeling settled on the pit of his stomach when a guy sat across his girlfriend. To add to his horror, the guy who was about to kiss Chloe was someone very familiar.

"Hell no!" Alek exclaimed, standing from his seat, much to the surprise and chagrin of the girl in front of him. Her lips were already puckered up and ready to experience just how great a kisser he was, so his sudden outburst was rather unexpected and unnerving.

Chloe's eyes momentarily met with her boyfriend's and she raised a challenging brow at him before facing the old friend now sitting in front of her.

"Hey, Chloe," Kai smiled nervously. "You sure about this?"

Chloe shrugged. "I've always wondered what it would be like to kiss a Jackal." It was her who talked the Jackal into being the first to line up for a kiss, hoping to make her boyfriend jealous. Her first option was Paul, but she knew there was absolutely no way Alek would be jealous over her kissing her childhood friend… plus Amy wouldn't be very happy about that. As she shifted her seat closer to Kai, she could feel Alek's furious brown gaze burning against her skin.

Alek's fists were clenched and the girl in front of him was staring up at him in terror, intimidated by his menacing stance.

"Alek," Ryan hesitantly placed a hand over his shoulder, "you're scaring the customers."

He didn't really hear because he was too preoccupied watching the Uniter – savior of the Mai – leaning over and about to lock lips with a Jackal. _Not just any Jackal… it's Kai. _He remembered how jealous he was of the guy when Chloe made it her personal mission to see to his safety. "Don't do it, Chloe," he muttered, hoping she could hear.

Chloe heard Alek's warning. She smiled inwardly.

"I think your boyfriend is just about ready to rip my throat out. He seems to be the kind to enjoy ripping body parts off of people…" Kai whispered to her ear.

Chloe giggled, knowing how jealous Alek must be by then. "Relax. He won't do anything to you," she whispered back.

All their low whispering was driving Alek crazy. _What are they talking about? _

"Are you going to kiss or what?" Ryan asked him, now sounding rather annoyed.

Alek smirked. "Oh I'm going to kiss alright." Not being able to hold himself back, he ran down the platform he was on and was on Chloe's platform within seconds. Before her lips could touch Kai's, Alek grabbed her arm, pulled her away from the Jackal, planted his hands on her small waist and pulled her against him.

She looked up questioningly at him, but a smile was now slowly forming on her lips.

He looked first at Kai then roamed his gaze pointedly at all the other guys lined up to kiss her. "Anyone who kisses her will answer to me."

"What you gonna do, Petrov?" a guy from the line hollered.

"I don't know," Alek shrugged. "Rip your tongue out perhaps?"

"See, Chloe…" Kai mumbled rubbing a hand over his neck. "He's the ripping sort…"

"Alek…" was all Chloe managed to say before his lips crashed possessively over hers, claiming, controlling, commanding, his tongue freely kneading against hers. It felt like forever before their lips parted. Chloe gasped when he pulled away from her, her knees weakening at how great and passionate a kiss that was. _He's always been a great kisser, but that was… Oh gosh… I don't even know what that was. _The only word she could think of to describe it was _amazing _as she held on to his strong arms for support.

A smirk formed on his lips at the sight of how rattled she was. "Let's see any of these chumps attempt to beat that…" He chided before letting go of her waist and turning to head back to his platform. He sat across the skinny brunette who seemed to be even more eager for a kiss after watching him go at it with Chloe. He grinned at the girl. "Now we can kiss." His lips were about to touch the girl's, when he felt soft, delicate hands grip his arm. He had to smile when he heard Chloe say, "Oh no, you don't…" before pulling him up to stand so that she could throw herself against him, arms around his neck, her lips pressing against his with equal – if not more than – the passion he displayed earlier.

Somewhere along their once again very public display of affection, Ryan began tentatively poking Alek's shoulder. "This really isn't what kissing booths are for."

"We're kissing, aren't we?" Alek asked breathlessly after prying his lips away from Chloe, who was as breathless as he was. "What else are kissing booths for?"

"Well, there's this whole fundraising thing and there's a line…" Ryan began to explain, his hands flailing in the air to emphasize his point.

"Yeah, yeah… her shift's an hour long, right?" Alek asked with a small shrug. "I'll pay…"

"And what about your shift and all these people lined up to…"

"I'll pay for his shift," Chloe responded before glaring at the girls lined up to kiss Alek. "Anyone who objects should be willing to put up a fight, because my claws are coming out if anyone tries to kiss him."

Alek had to smile both at how possessive she was being and at how literal her claws-coming-out threat could be. "Chloe King, you have no idea how hot you are right now," he cooed.

Chloe grinned, her hand on the back of his neck pulling him close. "Just kiss me, Alek Petrov."

And so he did.

Ryan's shoulders sagged in surrender. "Where's this booth's organizer? Who's next on the roster?" he asked no one in particular, having no idea what to say or do to the people lined up for a kiss.

"Oh, you'll do…" the brunette who Alek was supposed to kiss stood up and kissed the announcer instead.

Shocked, Ryan tried to pull away. "Tracy, I'm not on the roster," he gasped.

The brunette smiled. "Come on, Ryan… it's for charity."

**-oiOio-**

Jasmine shook her head at both of them. "I can't believe you two spent _that _much money to do something that you could otherwise get for free. What does all of that even prove?"

"Why does it have to prove anything?" Alek asked, smiling and meeting Chloe's gaze, his arm over her shoulder.

She smiled back. "If you ask me, it was worth every penny."

Jasmine had to roll her eyes at the couple going all gooey-eyed over each other once again. She lifted her hands in mock surrender. "Of course… go ahead… kiss again."

And so they did.

But not before both of them huskily said in unison, "Come on, Jasmine… it's for charity."

**-oiOio-**

Hannah giggled, her cheeks blushing as her eyes went back and forth from her dad to her mom, a wide toothy smile on her face.

"I'm getting nervous over how much this little girl enjoys hearing kissing stories so much." Alek began messing with Hannah's hair.

"Daddy, stop that…" Hannah frowned, trying to push her father's hand away from her head.

"Why? Have you told her 'kissing stories' before?" Chloe asked.

"No… but I'm pretty sure either Xander or Claudia has…" Alek creased his brows at their daughter, looking more than a little concerned.

"Daddy, am I allowed to kiss boys?" Hannah asked. She tilted her head to the side like she always did when she was trying to be cute.

Alek shook his head. "No, Hannah. You're not allowed to kiss boys. Not until you're forty." He then turned toward Chloe. "Isn't five the age when she's supposed to think boys have cooties or something and she's all disgusted by them?"

Chloe chuckled. "I was about seven years old when I had my first kiss."

"Geez… you're not helping…" Alek grimaced. "That is _so _wrong. Now I can't get the image of you kissing Paul out of my head."

"Ewww…" Hannah wrinkled her nose. "You kissed Uncle Paul, Mommy? Was Aunt Amy mad?"

"That was a long time ago, sweetheart. Aunt Amy was more disgusted than mad," Chloe replied with a soft smile. "And Hannah, you heard your father…" she added, rubbing her little girl's back. "No kissing until you're forty."

"When will I be forty?" Her blonde eyelashes fluttered over her innocent brown eyes.

"A very long time from now," Chloe answered their child.

"If I could do anything about it, never..." Alek muttered under his breath, nodding resolutely. "Aren't there any other stories in there?" he asked, tilting his chin toward the scrapbook. "One that doesn't involve kissing."

Hannah shifted her attention to the scrapbook. She sifted backwards through the pages.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping already?" Chloe brought up.

"Just one more story…" the little girl pleaded, a pout forming on her pink lips. "Pleeease…"

Alek and Chloe exchanged glances. Hannah was known to have charmed her way out of many difficult situations with that cute little pout of hers. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just one more story and off to bed you go…" Chloe watched as Hannah thumbed through the pages. She stopped at a certain page and began giggling. "You guys look funny."

Chloe smiled at the picture. It was a wacky picture, with Paul, Amy and her just fooling around.

Alek creased his brows. "That isn't the day I think it is, is it?"

Chloe grinned. "Yup… It is. That's the day you and Paul actually became friends."

**- to be continued -**

**-oiOio-**

**Author's Note: **Confession: This one-shot was mostly inspired by the whole kissing booth scene in the movie _She's the Man_, with Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes. Also, I'm slightly afraid that I might have written Alek and Chloe a bit OOC here, but *sighs* does it help if I say I tried not to? *smiles*

All proceeds (a.k.a. reviews) for this chapter will go to The Brain of Ivane's Inspire the Writer Foundation, so be generous and leave a review. Come on, sweethearts… it's for charity.


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